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PRACTICAL PHRASES OF 

SHOW CARD WRITING 

A COMPLETE MANUAL 
OF THE BEST AND LATEST METHODS OF 

BRUSH and PEN LETTERING 

WITH 

COMPREHENSIVE 
COLOR NOTES 

EMBRACING ALL THE MOST 

APPROPRIATE ALPHABETS 

ABUNDANTLY AND ACCURATELY 

ILLUSTRATED 

WITH FULL DESCRIPTION OF 

ALL THE MATERIALS NECESSARY 

Published by 

St. Louis Show Card School 

ii 

205-6 Vanol Bldg., St. Louis, Mo. 






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JUL 31 1922 



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PREFACE 

Advertising plays a vital part in all business and 
to know how best to help and push business with 
the least outlay is of the utmost importance. 

The tremendous influence of local advertising 
has made the show card one of the most popular 
forms of attracting the peoples attention to the 
merchant's stock, consequently the demand for 
this class of advertising is constantly increasing. 

More show cards are used m stores — large and 
small — than ever before. In these pages will be 
found the result of the latest and best efforts on 
the practice of Show-Card Writing, and it is pre- 
sented to the public with the confidence that it 
will be found thoroughly practical, and presented 
in a logical and teachable manner. It is the inten- 
tion that the student's mind shall be constantly 
directed to the matter in hand and not become 
confused by theories that can be of no possible 
use to him. 

We know that one student may grasp things 
quicker than another — that every student works 
from a different state of mind, and because of 



these different personal conditions, this method 
has proved itself a capable and effective channel 
through which the thoughts of the instructor pass 
into the mind of the student. 

The topics are not only reduced in treatment 
to the smallest compass compatible with clear- 
ness, but they are treated with such precision as 
to teach without confusion. It is by following 
this method that the book has been reduced to its 
present admirable dimensions. 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Show Card Writing — A General Idea 7 

Alphabets to be Used by the Beginner 8 

Alphabets Used in Show Card Writing 10 

Handling the Brush 1 1 

A Few Don'ts..... 17 

Numerals 17 

How to Draw Margin Lines Quickly __ 19 

Tools Needed by the Card Writer. 20 

The Work Table..... _ _ 21 

Show Card Brushes and Their Care 22 

Laying-Out or Marking the Card Preparatory to Lettering ...23 

Rectifying Mistakes 24 

Ornaments and Borders 24 

Run-Off Lettering..... ._ 26 

How to Practice 28 

The Pen in Show-Card Writing 31 

How to Mix Your Own Color 33 

Cardboard 34 

The Use of the Air Brush.. _ 34 

Spacing — — 35 

Show Card Charges 36 

Keep your Decorations in Season _ 37 

How to Make a Stencil _. 37 

Decorations other than Painted 38 

Bronzes 39 



CO NTENTS— Continued 

COLORS .. 41 

Popular Colors 42 

Complementary Colors 43 

Contrast 43 

Harmony in Colors. 44 

Warm and Cold Colors 44 

COLOR COMBINATIONS. 47 

Greens 47 

Grey 48 

Yellow 49 

Red 50 

Blue 52 

Brown 52 

Outdoor Signs.. 54 

Mounting Muslin on Frames 55 

Brushes Used in Muslin Work 55 

Colors Used in Muslin Work. 56 

Laying out the Muslin Sign 56 

Sample Alphabets 57-70 

Borders 71-74 

Ornaments and Designs 75-86 

Miscellaneous Designs 87-98 

Miscellaneous 99-108 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 



Show Card Writing 

A General Idea 

In the last few years there has been a great 
demand for temporary signs or show cards by the 
retail merchants in every city from the smallest 
to the largest. 

Because of their neatness as compared to the 
ones made by the inexperienced letterer, the show 
card writer has created a profitable business in 
every locality m the country. 

The scarcity of men and women in this line has 
practically placed them at a premium and for 
years to come there will not be an over abundance 
of show card writers. 

The larger stores of the larger cities have show 
card writers constantly in their employ and a good 
workman is very much sought for and paid ac- 
cordingly. 

In this book I will try to instruct you in the 
methods used in modern show card writing and 
the proper way to handle the tools and material. 



8 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

ALPHABETS TO BE USED BY THE BEGINNER 

The proper alphabets to be used for effect and 
speedy work is of course very important. Your 
show cards must be neat and attractive but along 
with this you must execute them with reasonable 
speed in order to make them remunerative. The 
number of brush strokes must be held to a mini- 
mum, for every stroke requires time. Time use- 
lessly spent on a card is money wasted. 

The greater part of show card lettering is what 
is called "One Stroke" lettering, which does not 
mean that the letter in its entirety is made in one 
stroke but that each distinctive part of a letter 
is a separate stroke. For instance, the letter E; 
the vertical stroke is made in one stroke and the 
three horizontal strokes likewise. This one stroke 
alphabet is the first to be mastered, which will 
be explained to further detail later on in this book. 

You will offhand think that the round letters 
such as C, 0, S, etc., are the hardest to execute 
but with a little practice you will find them easier 
than the straight lines in lettering. 

A show card to be really attractive must have 
a few letters or possibly a whole word in a "fin- 
ished letter" such as the Block or Spurred letter. 
Your own judgment must be used here as to the 
proper part to emphasize in this manner. 



10 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

A few words can be said on that matter, how- 
ever, the vital part of the show card should be 
brought to prominence. Do not get your upper 
case and lower case letters mixed. Keep the 
upper case (capitals) where they belong. 



ALPHABETS USED IN SHOW CARD WRITING 

The first alphabets to be mastered by the be- 
ginner are the one stroke letters, both upper case 
and lower ; see Fig. 1 . This alphabet is mainly 
used on the ordinary card and in the making re- 
quires every stroke used in card lettering and 
should therefore be practiced first to familiarize 
the student with the correct handling of the 
brush — the secret and foundation of the business. 

The lower case, Fig. 2, is about the most prac- 
tical form of lettering in card writing for several 
reasons. Firstly, the number of strokes required 
in making the lower case is very much less than 
that of the upper case, or capitals. Secondly, the 
fact that the number of strokes is minimized 
shortens the time spent on each card, and the 
number of letters in a given space can be increased 
by the use of this alphabet. 

By slanting this letter to the right makes it 
easier to execute and somewhat faster than mak- 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 1 1 

ing them vertical. Learn to slant them first and 
you will be able, that much sooner, to control 
the brush for vertical lettering. 



Before taking up any more alphabets we will 
proceed with the foundation of show card writ- 
ing — :the handling of the brush. Study this con- 
scientiously and practice each stroke separately 
and you will be amazed at how rapidly you de- 
velop. 



HANDLING THE BRUSH 

I will repeat here that this is the secret of every 
high class show card writer and must be done 
correctly at the very beginning or you will form 
little habits that will be a hindrance to your 
progress and will be very hard to overcome. The 
following are the various strokes used in the form- 
ing of all letters used in card writing: 

Vertical stroke 
Horizontal stroke 
Slanted stroke (right) 
Slanted stroke (left) 
Right curved stroke 
Left curved stroke 
Full curved stroke (upper) 
Full curved stroke (lower) 










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ONE STROKE 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 13 

Half circle stroke (upper) 
Half circle stroke (lower) 
Two way stroke or S stroke 

These strokes are illustrated in the above order 
in Fig. 3 and should be practiced in the order 
named. 

PRACTICE and more PRACTICE will enable 
you to completely master the brush and it will 
not be long before you can make it go just where 
you want. At first it will seem rather clumsy but 
do not get discouraged. PRACTICE. 

The brush should be held between the thumb 
and second finger, not stiffly or rigid but just 
enough to hold it. See Fig. 4. The first finger is 
just rested on the brush and tends to steady it. 
To explain this more fully — the brush is held be- 
tween the thumb and first joint of the second 
finger about one inch above the hair, the upper 
part of the brush handle is rested about midway 
between the knuckle and second joint of the first 
finger. Study Fig. 4 a few minutes. Hold the 
brush in this manner and roll it back and forth 
with the thumb and second finger. This move- 
ment is used on all curved parts of one stroke 
lettering. 

The making of every letter requires a double 
movement, that is, both finger movement and arm 



14 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 



- 




B • '-'•¥« Jl 

i 



Fig. 4. 



movement. For instance, in the vertical stroke 
the brush is applied to the card, see Fig. 5, and 
as the fingers are drawn towards the palm of the 
hand, the arm is drawn down simultaneously. See 
Fig. 6. The hand is rested on the wrist and the 
last two fingers, as you will note in Fig. 5. 



The horizontal strokes are a movement of the 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 15 




Fie. 5. 



wrist and arm, drawn from the left to the right 
without changing the position of the fingers. 
Slanting strokes are made the same as the vertical. 



The curved strokes are made with the wrist 
and fingers, the brush rolled between the fingers 
to follow the line of the curve. 



6 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 




Fig. 6. 



The color must be of the proper consistency. 
If too thin the color will spread beyond the in- 
tended letter; if too thick it will "pull" and not 
cover properly. Dip the brush in the color de- 
sired and do not forget that the brush MUST be 
kept flat as it is applied to the card. To do this 
it must be worked back and forth on the palette 
and the side last raised from the palette applied 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 1 7 

to the card. Dip the brush frequently to keep 
it well loaded, work rapidly and not too carefully. 
Do not watch your first results, watch your stroke, 
see that you use the proper method, the results 
will come later. 

Do not make your strokes hesitatingly or 
"choppy"; make them continuous. 

With very few exceptions, always make your 
vertical strokes first. Notice the formation of the 
letters and keep them in proportion. 

A FEW DON'TS 

Don't let your brush come to a point; keep it 
flat with the hair spread as much as possible. 

Do not hesitate; when you start your stroke 
finish it. 

Do not spur or finish your letter until all the 
strokes are completed. 

Do not let your show card brushes come in 
contact with oil or grease. 

NUMERALS 

Card writers use the Antique Roman style of 
numerals mainly because numerals when used on 
a card are, as a rule, a prominent part thereof, 
and being such should be in the finished class of 
lettering. Fig. 7 shows the strokes used in mak- 
ing the outline, the center being filled in after 
the outline is completed. 



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Fig. 7 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 



19 




Fig. 8. 



HOW TO DRAW MARGIN LINES QUICKLY 

Hold the brush in the same manner as for let- 
tering, allowing the point of the brush to come 
in contact with the paper after placing the ball 
or end of the little finger against the edge of the 
card. See Fig. 8. A few minutes' practice will 
enable you to draw a perfectly straight line, any 



20 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

distance from the edge wanted, up to, of course, 
as far as you can reach without losing control 
of the brush, which happens to be further than 
the ordinary card border requires. 

At first this may seem awkward, but as it is 
one of the short cuts in show card writing, must 
be mastered before one can be expert. As I said 
before, a few minutes' practice is all that is re- 
quired. 

TOOLS NEEDED BY THE CARD WRITER 

They are few indeed, but what he does need 
should be the best. The best cost so little that 
it would be unwise to use any other. 

The following list is sufficient for ordinary 
show cards: 

One No. 4 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One No. 6 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One No. 8 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One No. 10 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One No. 12 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One No. 1 4 Red Sable Show Card Brush. 

One straight edge or rule. 

One compass. 

One pair shears. 

One jar color (black). 

One jar color (white). 

One jar color (blue). 

One jar color (yellow). 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 21 

One jar color (red). 

One bottle Lettenne (black). 

One bottle Letterine (red). 

One dozen lettering pens, assorted. 

One pen holder. 

One lead pencil. 

One box charcoal. 

One piece art gum. 

Thumb tacks. 

One bottle mucilage. 

Cardboard. 

Dry colors. 

The articles mentioned can be purchased from 
most any dealer m this line, but if you have any 
difficulty obtaining them or wish to have them 
selected for this work, I can supply your needs. 
In the last part of this book you will find a list 
of materials I can supply, together with the price. 
You can be assured that these are the best obtain- 
able and the best suited for the work. 

THE WORK TABLE 

Card signs can be lettered to a better advantage 
and greater speed by being laid on a slightly in- 
clined surface, sufficiently long to carry a full 
sheet with room on the right or left, as you prefer, 
for your colors and brushes laid out. 



21 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

SHOW CARD BRUSHES AND THEIR CARE. 

It is needless to say that the brush is your most 
important tool, and as such should be selected 
with care. The best brush for water color letter- 
ing is the Red Sable lettering brush. It will out- 
last any other with the proper care (I have some 
I have used five or six years) and is more adapted 
to water. 

Always thoroughly clean your brushes in clean 
water and be sure to get all of color out of the 
"heel." After you have them clean and while 
still wet, pass them through the thumb and fore- 
finger, so they will be flat with a straight edge. 

It is a good idea to mark or nick the handle so 
you can keep them flat in the same place. After 
a short while your brushes will be "trained" to 
keep this flat condition. Be careful of the posi- 
tion you lay your brushes when through with 
them. Lay them on a flat surface or stand them 
in a glass HAIR UP. 

Never allow the brush to rest on the hair, it 
will ruin it. 

Do not, under any circumstances, allow oil or 
grease to come in contact with any brush you 
want to use for show card writing. 

Do not allow your brushes to dry with the 
color in them. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 23 

LAYING-OUT OR MARKING THE CARD PREPA- 
RATORY TO LETTERING 

This is a very important part of show card 
writing, because if your lay-out is poor, even 
though your lettering may be perfect, the general 
appearance will be very bad. It is better to have 
a good lay-out with careless lettering. 

The best to use is a hard lead pencil, but do not 
press too hard, just a feint outline is sufficient. 
After the card is finished and any pencil marks 
show they can be easily removed with a piece of 
Art Gum. Charcoal, for laying out, I think you 
will find, is very unsatisfactory for cardboard. It 
is dirty and smudgy, and after your card is laid out 
and the lettering commenced, your card will be 
smeared so badly it will require more time to 
clean it than in the making. 

On black or dark card-board use a piece of 
ordinary chalk, sharpened to a point, instead of 
a lead pencil. 

Straight lines in your lay-out should be the rule, 
although you can occasionally curve a line or word 
to break the monotony or where prominence is 
desired. In laying out your card, do not draw out 
the letters perfectly, just make a feint form of 
each. 



24 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

RECTIFYING MISTAKES 

The easiest way to avoid mistakes is to read 
over your lay-out before proceeding with the let- 
tering. But mistakes will occur, and if it happens 
to be on a white card, take a sharp pen-knife and 
gently scrape away the color, but be careful not 
to cut through the glazed surface. It is more 
often advisable to allow the color to dry before 
doing this; it will chip off much more easily and 
will not pick up the coating of the card like when 
wet. 

If you make a mistake on colored card, moisten 
a small cloth and proceed to wipe away the offend- 
ing letter. If this is done carefully you will not 
pick up the colored background. 

If you have a greasy spot on your card (mostly 
perspiration from the hand) wipe with a mixture 
of ordinary baking soda and water. 

ORNAMENTS AND BORDERS 

To give a card the appearance of being finished 
it must have a thin margin line within its outer 
edge. Do not crowd it too close to the edge. Here 
you will have to use your own judgment. If your 
card is pressed for space, owing to more than 
average reading matter, you will necessarily have 
to bring your border line closer, but, as a rule, 
on an average card of say a quarter sheet 
(1 1"x14") you will be safe to have it about one 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 25 

inch from the edge, on a half sheet (14"x22"), 
about one and one-half inches and on a full sheet 
(22"x28"), about two inches. 

If your card has but little lettering you can 
bring it in a little closer. 

If you use a heavy border, scrolls, decorations 
or ornamental designs, be sure to execute them 
in mild or subdued tones. If you were to use 
heavy or deep color for this purpose, it would 
detract from the readability of your card and give 
it a general muddled appearance. Remember 
this and keep your decorations confined to soft 
colors, the milder the better. 

To reverse a design without spending the time 
necessary to copy both right and left, proceed 
as follows: Take a piece of paper a trifle larger 
than the design and fold it in the middle. Draw 
the design wanted on one-half of the paper with 
a very soft lead pencil, fold back so the drawing 
comes in contact with the other half and rub the 
reverse side of the pencil marks with some hard 
object and it will be transferred to the other side, 
then pencil in the whole design, rub a little dry 
color on the back, lay on the card, go over the 
pencil marks again and the design will be trans- 
ferred to the card feintly in the color used. 

Where you will use the same design on several 
cards, cut out of cardboard the design wanted and 



26 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

by running a sharp pencil around the edge you 
can duplicate it as many times as desired. 

Beautiful show cards can be made by cutting 
out pictures or decorations found m magazines 
and newspapers and pasting on the card. Fashion 
pictures can be pasted on tailors' cards, ladies' 
heads on druggists' cards, etc. Anything appro- 
priate can be used to advantage. 

Collect all the designs and pictures you can, 
magazines have designs and borders galore, cut 
them out and study them ; you can get some very 
good ideas by using them wholly, partially or by 
combining them. Notice the color combinations, 
and when you copy them use an eye for color 
harmony. 



RUN-OFF LETTERING 

This style of lettering has been adopted by the 
modern show-card writer and is about the handiest 
and neatest alphabet that can be used. The name 
given it is very appropriate, because after you 
have practiced it a while you will find you can 
"run it off a mile a minute." For speed it can't 
be beat, and for appearance, likewise. 

This style of lettering can be used on very nearly 
every card you write if you wish to use it. Some 
of the handsomest cards made have this style 









Fig. 9. 




28 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

throughout, with probably a decorated capital 
letter at the start to set it off. 

In the making, this alphabet is the simplest and 
is by far easier to learn than any other. 

Do not practice this alphabet until you have 
the "one-stroke" letters fairly well conquered. In 
this alphabet the brush is held in the same manner 
as described for the one stroke lettering with the 
exception that the hair edge of the brush is held 
at an angle of forty-five degrees and is not used 
flat as in one stroke lettering. Figure nine shows 
the strokes and alphabets of both the upper and 
lower case. Bear in mind that your brush is held 
in the one position and is not rolled between the 
fingers as in the one-stroke lettering. 



HOW TO PRACTICE 

Ordinary Manilla wrapping paper is ideal for 
practice purposes and can be purchased most 
anywhere at small cost. When you practice the 
various brush strokes keep in mind that your 
strokes should be made deliberately and with an 
easy swing. Avoid making them jerky or in a 
hesitating manner. Always draw lines to guide 
by, in that way you learn to start and stop the 
stroke where you intended to. First practice on 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 29 

lines about two inches apart and make them in 
the order illustrated in Figure 3. Try the first 
stroke a hundred or more times, then the second, 
etc. When you think you have an easy swing to 
your strokes start in on the letters as shown in 
Figs. 1 and 2. 

Study the various letters and their proportions. 
Execute them alphabetically, then intermix them 
and notice your spacing. In spacing your letters 
your judgment of distance must be used, do not 
get them jammed up close and gradually spread 
out at the end of your word. Maintain the same 
distance — keep them pleasing to the eye — always 
look to the proportion of your letters, keeping 
them as uniform as possible. 

Practice these strokes and letters m smaller and 
larger heights and widths. 

Then try the numerals, Figure 7. 

Do not slow up on the practice until you have 
perfect control of the brush, and in the meantime 
start laying out practice signs on the Manilla 
paper. Keep them well centered and balanced, 
read them carefully, bring out the important part 
or the part that should be emphasized. See Figure 
1 0, you will notice the important part is empha- 
sized, and also the price. 




Fig. 10. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 31 

THE PEN IN SHOW-CARD WRITING 

For neat, small lettering on cards, the round 
writing pen is used by card-writers for several 
reasons. It is easier to handle for small lettering, 
and every stroke is uniform in width and is faster 
to manipulate than the brush for the clean-cut 
work a small letter demands. The pen is manipu- 
lated by the finger movement only, much the same 
as you would use an ordinary pen. See Figure 1 1 
for the various strokes used in pen work, also the 
alphabets, both upper and lower case. 

This pen comes in eleven different sizes. Before 
dipping in the color, moisten with the tongue, 
otherwise the color will have a tendency to 
* 'crawl" either back on the pen and not flow, or, 
more frequently, to the point and form a large 
drop that will only blot your card. After the pen 
has been used it will not be necessary to repeat 
this operation. Always shake the surplus color 
off the pen after dipping. 

The pen should be worked at an angle of forty- 
five degrees and held m this position; it is not 
rolled like the brush. Keep the entire point on the 
card at all times, and, being of rather stiff steel, 
should be pressed rather hard. Try these exer- 
cises and you will soon get accustomed to its use. 
After using, wash with water — it will prolong its 
life. 



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Fig. 1 1 • 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 33 

The best pen color, I believe, is Letterine, 
although if you have a good color at the right con- 
sistency it will do very nicely. 

HOW TO MIX YOUR OWN COLOR 

An expert card-writer uses water color ex- 
clusively for his work, with the one exception of 
outdoor cards, but these are called for so rarely 
that it hardly pays to keep a supply of oil and 
Japan colors and oil brush on hand. 

Water, musilage and the dry colors are all that 
are required for the paint. The musilage is for 
the binding purposes to prevent the color from 
rubbing after it is applied to the card. It is then 
thinned to the proper consistency by adding water. 
Care should be exercised in getting too little 
musilage in your color (or it will rub) ; too much 
musilage will cause it to pull and will also kill 
its true color and too much water will cause it to 
run. 

Before adding the water the color must be 
"ground" or worked to as fine a degree as possible. 
Get a piece of ordinary window glass, put a small 
quantity of the selected color in the middle and 
moisten with alcohol to cut and dissolve the pow- 
der, then add a sufficient amount of musilage to 
mix well. Now rub the mixture back and forth 
with a "spatchlor" or paint knife until fine. Put 
in cup and add the water. 



34 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

For general show-card work it is probably best 
to buy the color already prepared. There are 
several on the market, but the best I have used 
are the Bissell colors. They are ready for use the 
way they come, need no musilage or binder and 
only need water when too thick to work properly. 
They come m all colors used by the card-writer 
and are more than satisfactory in every way. These 
colors are handled by every first-class paint store 
or can be procured from our supply department. 

CARDBOARD 

The cardboard used comes in standard size 
and is known as the double sheet (28x44), and 
the full sheet (22x28) . The half sheet ( 1 4x22) , 
the quarter sheet (1 1x14) and the eighth sheet 
(7x1 1 ) are cut from the full sheet. This is easily 
done with a good pair of shears with absolutely no 
waste. If you have occasion to make a card 
off -size or larger than it can be bought, simply 
place a piece of the card under the two edges to 
be connected and paste with Le Page's glue. For 
ordinary work the eight-ply, coated one side, is 
used and can be procurred from any large paper 
house. 

THE USE OF THE AIR-BRUSH 

The up-to-the-minute card-writer must have an 
air-brush. The work done by this instrument is 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 35 

beautiful and attractive and cannot be duplicated 
effectively by hand. 

The air-brush is ideal for cards made in dupli- 
cate for the reason that you use the same stencil 
or cut-out and the operation is only a matter of 
minutes. It operates by air pressure supplied by 
a carbonic acid tank and which is handled by most 
houses dealing in soda fountain supplies. 

The air-brush distributes color in a spray in a 
thin or heavy quantity at the will of the operator. 
By spraying the desired color around the stencil, 
which is pinned to the card, your stencil design 
is transferred in relief against the background. 
Do not apply too much color in this manner or 
you will spoil the effect. By spraying your letter- 
ing on the shade side (left side) gives them, be- 
sides the shade, a rounded appearance. However, 
an air-brush is not absolutely necessary; in fact, 
the ordinary card very seldom has air-brush work 
on it, and it is not advisable to purchase one until 
your business grows to such proportions that you 
need it. 

SPACING 

To those outside of the lettering profession 
there is a prevalent idea that all lettering of a 
stipulated form is measured and made of equal 
proportions. Such is not true. They are the same 
in appearance, and to get them of the same pro- 



36 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

portions in appearance you must make them of a 
slightly different size m reality. 

For instance, your round letters (C, G, 0, Q) 
must be spaced a trifle closer together and must 
be made to extend a trifle above and below the 
line of lettering or they will appear to be smaller 
than the full space letters. 

The full space letters (B, D, E, H, K, M, N, R, U, 
S, X, Z) must have a trifle larger space between 
them or they will appear to be crowded. The 
part space letters (A, F, J, L, P, T, V, W, Y) must 
be spaced closer or they will appear to be sep- 
arated from the other letters, on account of the 
open space on the bottom or top as the case may 
be. The letters A, J, L having the open space 
on the top and the letters F, P, T, V, W, Y having 
the open space on the bottom. 

There can be no set rules to govern the proper 
spacing of letters, other than the ones mentioned. 
You will therefore readily see that it is a matter 
that requires the training of the eye to keep the 
effect pleasing and properly balanced. 

SHOW CARD CHARGES 

What to charge is, of course, a matter to be 
thought out and is to be governed by conditions. 
The following prices are based on single orders 
and can be taken as an average. If your customer 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 37 

is regular you may find it advisable to cut these 
prices a little, or if the orders are in numbers, 
the price may also be reduced. However, your 
own judgment can best be used in this matter: 

Full sheet (ordinary) $ .80 

Full sheet (fancy) 1 .00 

Half Sheet (ordinary) 50 

Half sheet (fancy) 70 

Quarter sheet (ordinary) 30 

Quarter sheet (fancy) 45 

Price tickets (ordinary) 04 

Price tickets (fancy) 07 



KEEP YOUR DECORATIONS IN SEASON 

Just a reminder that your decorations must be 
seasonable. Watch the current magazines and 
you will get some wonderful ideas which will help 
you carry this out. Do not copy anything too 
elaborate — it requires too much time. Keep your 
designs simple and in color harmony. 



HOW TO MAKE A STENCIL 

The best material for this purpose is waxed 
paper and can be purchased in sheets of fairly 
good weight. Although an ordinary sheet of 
card-board is very good for a small quantity of 
sighs. The reason the waxed paper is recom- 
mended is because the ordinary card will soak up 



38 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

the color from the air-brush after four or five 
designs have been made, and it not only will smear 
up your card from the absorbed color, but will 
warp out of shape. If you have very many cards 
of the same design it is advisable to get the waxed 
paper. 

Draw out the design in pencil and cut out with 
a very sharp pen-knife. Use glass push pins or 
thumb tacks for holding the stencil in place on 
your card. As has been cautioned before, do 
not air-brush too heavily — your card will be 
neater with just enough to call attention to the 
design. 

DECORATIONS OTHER THAN PAINTED 

Beautiful decorations can be added to a card 
in the shape of raised ornaments, such as scrolls 
and wreaths, flower effects, ovals, etc., and can 
be procured either made up or can be made by 
purchasing the molds and molded of Alabastme or 
Plaster of Paris. 

Alabastine is easier to handle than Plaster of 
Paris, does not harden so quickly and is not so 
brittle. To secure the ornaments to the card 
merely spread glue on the flat surface and press 
on the card, weight down with some light object 
until dry. 

Artificial flowers make ideal decorations for 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 39 

show-cards and are easily and cheaply purchased. 
They are simply pinned or wired to the card in 
whatever position that looks artistic and neat. Do 
not overdo decorating in this manner, one flower 
with a few leaves is sufficient. Here you will have 
to watch the seasons. An American Beauty Rose 
placed on a card for December display would be 
very much out of place. 

Christmas decorations can be quickly and 
effectively done by touching over the tops of your 
lettering in the same color and sprinkled with 
ground glass. 

In applying the color, do only a few at a time, 
otherwise they will dry before you reach them 
with the glass. The ground glass is known as 
Diamond Dust and can be had of any good paint 
store. 

Nice effects can also be had by applying the 
various colored flitters to the card by painting your 
design with glue and applying the flitters while 
still wet. The flitter can be had in a large variety 
of colors, among them the prettiest; fire, purple, 
deep-gold, silver, green. 

BRONZES 

Bronze powders are put up in paper packages 
and in cans in various colors and are very suitable 
for decorative purposes on cards. The best for 



40 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

this purpose are the lining bronzes, both gold and 
aluminum. Although the lining bronzes have a 
rather dull appearance, they are far more suited 
to show-card work than the brilliant bronzes for 
the reason that the brilliants will not mix with 
water and glue. Banana Oil is necessary for the 
brilliant bronzes which puts them in the oil class 
and, therefore, requires extra brushes for their 
use. For general use you will find the Pale Gold 
Lining Bronze and the Deep Gold Lining Bronze 
sufficient. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 41 



COLORS 

This is a most important part of the study, 
requisite to the production of beautiful and attrac- 
tive show-cards. Much of the charm depends 
upon its color combinations, and, therefore, it 
behooves the painter to use his best judgment in 
using appropriate colors for his subject. Inven- 
tion is a leading essential of a show-card writer. 

There are various degrees of invention; inven- 
tion of the lay-out; inventing incidents in compo- 
sition to convey the meaning ; originality of design 
and in devising means to bring about results in 
execution. 

The series of tints presented in this book is 
complete. It is the result of a large expenditure 
of labor, painstaking care and judicious discrimi- 
nation and great care exercised in its collation, so 
as to exclude everything of doubtful use. 

Obviously the grouping of related colors will 
be found advantageous for quick reference. The 
adoption by the beginner of the deductions arrived 
at will save him much anxious thought and experi- 
ment, and secure results which he could never 
hope to attain by his unaided efforts. 



42 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

Color means the pigment employed to produce 
a certain effect to the eye, and must be regarded 
by the student not so much as the result of the 
application of one or more pigments separately, as 
of their use in the innumerable combinations of 
which they admit. 

In popular acceptation the primary or primitive 
colors are red, blue and yellow. Compounded in 
various proportions, they produce almost every 
tint that is physically possible. When combined 
in twos they produce the three colors usually 
termed secondary — that is to say, blue and red 
make purple or violet; yellow and red, orange; 
blue and yellow, green. The browns again are 
compounded of all three of the primary colors. 

The following list of colors will be found valu- 
able for the mixing of the various tints and hues, 
of which a list will be given later on in this book: 

POPULAR COLORS 

Burnt Sienna — A brown-orange color. 
Burnt Umber — Brown, low in tone. 
Chrome Green — A bright green, 3 shades. 
Carmine — A deep rich crimson. 
Crimson Lake — A beautiful crimson. 
Chrome Yellow — A brilliant yellow. 
Cobalt Blue — A pure bright azure. 
Golden Ochre — A golden, brown yellow. 
Indian Red — A warm brownish red. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 43 

Lampblack — A carbon black, grayish cast. 
Orange Chrome — A high colored orange. 
Prussian Blue — A deep, powerful blue. 
Pans Green — A beautiful green, suggesting 
blue. 

Red Lake — A deep, transparent red. 
Raw Sienna — A rather impure yellow. 
Raw Umber — A yellowish brown. 
Tuscan Red — A brownish red. 
Ultramarine Blue — The truest blue. 
Venetian Red — A yellowish red, scarlet tint. 
Vandyke Brown — A rich transparent brown. 
Vermilion — A true, bright red. 
Yellow Ochre — A fairly bright yellow. 
Zinc White — The standard white. 

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS 

Complementary colors are those which afford 
a pleasing contrast to each other. Thus, if the 
given color be a primitive, its complementary color 
is composed of the other two primitive colors. As 
red, blue and yellow are the primary colors, red 
is the complement of green (which is composed 
of yellow and blue) ; blue is the complement of 
orange (red and yellow) ; and yellow of purple 
(red and blue) and vice versa of all instances. 

CONTRAST 

Contrast is that which gives life and motion to 
an artistic composition by opposition of lines and 



44 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

colors. It is either simple or compound. Each of 
the primitive colors forms a simple contrast to 
the other two. Thus blue forms a simple contrast 
to red and yellow. But if red and yellow be mixed 
together, the complementary color will be pro- 
duced, viz.: orange, which is the most powerful 
contrast that can be made to blue. 

HARMONY IN COLOR 

Harmony of color is the effect of a proper 
arrangement of color and consists in the preserva- 
tion of the same character throughout, in so far as 
coloring is concerned. It is said to result from 
an equal distribution of the three primary colors, 
either pure or in composition, but such a rule, even 
if correct, is correct with so wide a latitude as 
scarcely to admit of practical application. 

The best method of attaining to a knowledge 
of harmony of color, is to train the eye by the 
observation of it as exhibited in nature. 

WARM AND COLD COLORS 

These terms are derived from the correspond- 
ing sensations which they are supposed to pro- 
duce. Yellow is said to be a warm color and blue 
a cold one, whereas red is neither warm nor cold. 
Such colors then, as have yellow, or red and yel- 
low, for their basis, are said to be warm colors; 
as opposed to cold colors such as blue and its 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 45 

compounds. Without supposing color-blindness, 
however, it seems very possible to imagine that 
in this respect the same color may, from associa- 
tion and other causes, produce different sensations 
on different persons. 

The three primary colors with the addition of 
black and white properly combined, will yield 
every hue and tint, but for practical purposes, it 
will be more economical (both in time and mate- 
rial) for the student to be supplied with the colors 
already prepared for show-card purposes. After 
you progress further with this work you will want 
to use more color combinations for your decora- 
tions, and for this purpose a following list will 
help you: 

The grouping of related colors is more con- 
venient and less confusing than if they were placed 
in a disconnected manner. 

It will be observed that, as all the different hues 
are obtained from the three primary colors, con- 
sequently all the various hues have a tendency to 
blend or merge into others; note, for instance, 
the yellows, when added to blue we have a green, 
it may be a yellowish green or a greenish yellow, 
according to the way it is mixed; therefore, with 
a little study and experimentation, innumerable 
color combinations can be made. 



46 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

Take a small quantity of different yellows, mix 
with it a normal red, then small portions of dif- 
ferent blues, then add a very little blue and yellow 
and note how the tone is lowered without being 
muddy, note the difference by adding a little dark 
blue or a little black. Mix different reds with 
yellows and blues. Take chrome yellow, mix with 
an equal amount of Prussian Blue, and note the 
brilliant green produced. By using the different 
yellows with Prussian blue and combining with 
parts of the umbers, siennas and reds, a great 
variety of green hues will be obtained. When ex- 
perimenting it will be well to paint on a card or 
in a blank book all such colors that are pleasing. 
Write the formula beneath each color for future 
reference. In this way you can make a sample 
book of colors as large as you please, fox the com- 
binations are inexhaustible and with ever increas- 
ing interest. Styles in colors are constantly chang- 
ing; frequently a new color is brought to popu- 
larity. If the student will study this color he can 
arrive at most of the ingredients, and by a little 
experimentation duplicate it and add it to his 
formula book. Tints are obtained by reducing 
with white. Some tints are altered much more 
than others by adding white. Always use a very 
small proportion of the dark colors when mixing 
to avoid getting them darker than wanted; you 
can always add more. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 47 



COLOR COMBINATIONS 

GREENS 

Green is made by the use of yellow as the 
foundation, then add blue until the desired shade 
is obtained. Other shades, tints or hues can be 
made as follows: 

BOTTLE GREEN — Dark green, red lake, ultra- 
marine blue, white. 

APPLE GREEN— White, tint with medium 
chrome green, touch of orange chrome. 

BRONZE GREEN — Five portions medium 
chrome green, 1 portion black, 1 burnt umber. 

DULL GREEN — White, chrome green, ultra- 
marine blue, tone with black. 

EMERALD GREEN— Paris green, tone with 
v»hite. 

FOREST GREEN — White, chrome green and 
black. 

GRASS GREEN — Chrome yellow and Prussian 
blue. 

LEAF BUD GREEN— White, tone with Orange 
chrome and chrome green. 



48 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

MYRTLE GREEN — Chrome green, ultramarine 
blue, black and white. 

OLIVE GREEN— Chrome yellow, black, touch 
of white, 

DARK OLIVE — Yellow ochre and Prussian 
blue. 

OLIVE DRAB — Raw umber and raw sienna, 
chrome orange, ultramarine blue and white. 

PEA GREEN — White, tone with Chrome green. 

SMOKE DRAB — Yellow ochre, ultramarine, 
black, burnt umber. 

SAGE GREEN — White, light chrome green, 
tone with yellow and burnt umber. 

WILLOW GREEN— White and verdigris. 

YELLOW BRONZE— White, chrome yellow and 
chrome green. 

BRIGHT GREEN— Chrome yellow and Prus- 
sian blue. 

GREY 

Grey is made by adding black to white until 
the desired shade is obtained. Other tints and 
hues are made as follows: 

FRENCH GREY— White, vermilion, ultra- 
marine blue and black. 

GREEN GREY — White, chrome green and 
black. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 49 

SMOKE GREY— Golden ochre, black and 
white. 

LIGHT GREY — To nine portions of white add 
one each of Prussian blue and black. 

PEARL GREY— .White and black, touch of 
vermilion and ultramarine blue. 

PURE GREY — White, ultramarine, chrome 
yellow and black. 

RUSSIAN GREY— White, vermilion, chrome 
yellow, ultramarine blue and black. 

YELLOW 

The following list are the yellows and tans, and 
the tints nearest the yellow: 

BUTTERCUP— White tinted with lemon 
yellow. 

LIGHT BUFF — White tinted with golden ochre. 

LIGHT AMBER — Burnt sienna, orange chrome, 
tone with burnt umber and black. 

CREAM — White, tone with yellow and a touch 
of vermilion. 

CLAY DRAB — Raw sienna, raw umber, white 
equal portions, touch of chrome green. 

CANARY — Five portions white, two of lemon 
yellow. 

COPPER — Yellow, two portions; black and 
red, one portion each. 



50 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

FAWN — White, yellow ochre, burnt sienna and 
black. 

FLAX — White, yellow ochre, touch of chrome 
green. 

STRAW — White, toned with orange chrome 
and chrome green. 

JONQUIL YELLOW — Chrome yellow and 
white, touch of vermilion. 

LEMON — One- third of white and two-thirds 
lemon chrome. 

PALE OLD GOLD— Golden ochre, white, little 
umber and chrome green. 

WARM OLD GOLD— Chrome yellow with 
burnt umber and burnt sienna. 

LIGHT CITRON— White and orange chrome 
tone with chrome green. 

LIGHT TAN— White and yellow ochre, little 
burnt sienna and burnt umber. 

YELLOW PRIMROSE — White and lemon 
yellow. 

NORTHERN STONE— Raw umber, one third, 
and one-third each of white and yellow ochre. 

TAN — Burnt sienna, two-thirds; chrome yel- 
low, one third; little raw umber; tone with white. 

RED 

BRICK — Yellow ochre one-half, quarter each 
of Venetian red and white. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 5 1 

CORAL PINK — White, orange chrome, car- 
mine, vermilion. 

CRIMSON RED—Vermilion and carmine. 

CLARET RED— Vermilion and black, little 
ultramarine blue and carmine. 

WINE RED — Tuscan red and black, add little 
white. 

BRIGHT FRENCH— Indian red and vermilion, 
tone with carmine. 

BANCO RED — Tuscan red and Venetian, add 
black and white. 

DEEP MAROON — Tuscan red and ultramarine. 

SEA SHELL — White and vermilion red, touch 
of burnt sienna. 

SALMON — -White, Venetian red, burnt sienna. 

PLUM— Half white and half red lake and 
ultramarine. 

WINE: — Carmine, three portions, ultramarine 
blue, two portions. 

SLATE — Venetian red and burnt sienna, tone 
with white. 

PEACH BLOSSOMS— White and vermilion, 
little blue and yellow. 

LILAC — Red lake and white, little ultramarine 
blue. 

CARNATION— Red lake, tone with white. 



52 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

FLESH PINK— Three-fifths white, one-fifth 
each of golden ochre and Venetian. 

DEEP MAROON — Tuscan red and ultramarine. 

PINK — White and vermilion red. 

POMPEIIAN LIGHT— Venetian red and Tuscan 
red, yellow and white. 

POMPEIIAN DARK— Venetian and carmine, 
burnt sienna. 

BLUE 

LAVENDER — White, ultramarine blue and red 
lake. 

PEACOCK — Cobalt blue and pans green, tone 
with white. 

TURQUOISE BLUE— White, cobalt blue and 
Paris green. 

SKY BLUE— Cobalt blue and white. 

VIOLET — Red lake and ultramarine blue, 
touch of white. 

MAUVE — Red lake, Venetian red, yellow 
ochre, little black and white. 

MAGENTA — Carmine, cobalt blue and white. 

PURPLE — Red lake and ultramarine blue. 

BROWN 

AMBER, DARK— One-third each of burnt 
sienna, orange chrome and burnt umber, touch of 
black and white. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 53 

ANTIQUE BRONZE-^Half each of burnt umber 
and burnt sienna, touch of black and chrome 
green. 

BROWN STONE— White tinted with golden 
ochre, burnt sienna and black. 

BISMARCK BROWN— Burnt sienna and burnt 
umber, touch of white and orange chrome. 

BROWN— Red and black and little yellow. 

CITRON — Three parts vermilion, two parts yel- 
low and one blue. 

CHOCOLATE BROWN— Burnt umber, Vene- 
tian red, Tuscan red, touch of yellow. 

CHESTNUT BROWN- One-half vermilion and 
one-half chrome yellow, little black. 

DOVE — Blue, red and yellow, tone high with 
white. 

DRAB — White, ochre and burnt umber. 

BROWN MAROON— Tuscan red and black. 

BROWN LEATHER— Venetian red, black and 
yellow ochre, touch of white. 

OLIVE BROWN— Burnt umber, little lemon 
yellow and little chrome green. 

TERRA COTTA— White and burnt Sienna, 
touch of black. 

PURPLE BROWN— Tuscan red, yellow ochre, 
burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, black and white. 



54 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

OUTDOOR SIGNS 

Show-card writing is the subject you are most 
interested in, but after you have become proficient 
in that line of work, and as your business grows, 
you will be requested to supply outdoor signs of 
all descriptions. 

The sign painter has a different form of work 
than the card-writer and it is not advisable to try 
to handle both businesses at the beginning. After 
you have become expert in the card work you 
can probably learn the sign painting branch very 
easily if you care to. However, you can take 
advantage of any banner work that you are asked 
to make. 

Muslin signs are used in great numbers by the 
retail merchant and quite a little money can be 
made in this manner, so I will give you information 
on tins subject, so you will be able to cope with 
it when it is offered. 

Sign painters' muslin is a cloth prepared ex- 
pressly for this purpose and can be purchased at 
most department stores. It comes in three, four 
and five feet widths and in rolls of fifty yards. At 
first buy it as you need it, then if your orders war- 
rant the use of larger quantities, buy it in rolls. 
White oil-cloth is used for signs when longer life 
is desired. It will outlast muclin by three or four 
times. 



ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 55 

MOUNTING MUSLIN ON FRAMES 

Use strips of wood one and one-half inches by 
one inch for this purpose, making the frame the 
size the sign is desired and tacking the muslin or 
oil-cloth on the frame. Always tack the sign on 
the outer edge of the frame and not on the face. 
Proceed in this manner; first, tack the cloth on 
one end in the middle with three or four tacks, 
then stretch the doth the entire length of the 
sign and tack on the other end with three or four 
tacks. Always tack in this manner the longest 
part of your sign. Then tack in the middle of your 
next side and stretch across the width and tack 
in the same way. Place tacks about seven inches 
apart, working away from the center tacks, 
stretching as you go around the sign; leave the 
corners until last. It is a good plan to wipe the 
entire surface with a wet rag or sponge. This 
will shrink the cloth and make your surface taunt 
and free from wrinkles. Do not get the cloth too 
wet. 

BRUSHES USED IN MUSLIN WORK 

For outside sign work water color paint cannot 
be used, so you will necessarily have to have a 
different set of brushes for your oil and Japan 
colors. Do not use your show-card brushes for 
this work, because if they have once been used 
for oil they will practically be useless for water 
color work. 



56 ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 

Camel hair lettering pencils and flat muslin 
brushes in various sizes are all that will be neces- 
sary for this work. Always clean your oil brushes 
in turpentine, and grease thoroughly in lard, oil 
or vaseline. Lay in tray, being careful that the 
hair is smooth and straight. 

COLORS USED IN MUSLIN WORK 

Colors ground in oil or Japan thinned with tur- 
pentine are used for this work and can be pur- 
chased at all paint stores. They can be bought 
in tubes or pound cans, the tubes being preferred 
because the color will not dry out and harden like 
in the open can. 

LAYING OUT THE MUSLIN SIGN 

Lay out the muslin signs in charcoal, dust off the 
surplus with a feather duster. Do not letter mus- 
lin signs laid flat; set them upright with the top 
part of your sign slightly in advance of the bottom. 
This will prevent the "drip" off your brush, which 
happens occasionally, from falling on the cloth. 
Use a rest or Mahl stick when lettering on muslin. 

In using oil-cloth instead of muslin for signs 
always rub the surface well with gasoline or tur- 
pentine and whitening before proceeding with 
your lay-out. It cuts the greasy surface and pre- 
vents the color from "crawling." 



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ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 




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ST. LOUIS SHOW CARD SCHOOL 




Bissell's "Show Card" 
Lettering Brushes 

Finest Red Sable Hair, in Nickeled Seamless Ferrules, with 7-Inch 

Polished Cedar Handles 

They require no "Breaking In" 




Illustration exact size of brush. 
These brushes are designed especially for one-stroke show card letter- 
ing, and are made of the finest Red Sable hair of full stock; they are easy 
to keep in perfect condition. 

No. 1 $0.25 No. 7 $0.54 

No. 2 28 No. 8 60 

No. 3 33 No. 9 67 

No. 4 35 No. 10 83 

No. 5 42 No. 11 97 

No. 6 47 No. 12 1.12 



Bissell's "Flat Stroke" Show Card Brushes 

Finest Red Sable Hair, in Nickeled Seamless Ferrules with 7-Inch 

Polished Cedar Handles 

They require no "Breaking In" 




% in. 



% in. 



5-16 in. % in. V2 in. 

Illustration exact size. 
The style of this brush is an improvement in all stroke brushes on 
the market; will appeal to the card writer who is partial to the flat brush. 
The elasticity of this brush is retained and not weakened as is the case 
with the average brush with the flattened ferrule. 

The brush is made with two grades of hair: Genuine Red Sable and 
Ox Hair. 

GENUINE RED SABLE. 



Ms inch $0.70 V 2 inch 

5-16 " 88 % 

% " 98 % 

5-16 " 1.39 % 

% " 2.09 1 

OX HAIR 

Vs inch $0.40 y 2 inch 

3-16 " 45 % 

V* " 50 % 

5-16 " 56 1 

% " 67 



.$2.80 
. 3.47 
. 4.40 
. 5.77 
. 6.88 

.$0.75 
. .87 
. 1.12 
. 1.80 



"Built For Service" 

Practical Air Brush No. 1 

Pencil Grip ^^^^ p n - ce $8.££ 




A One-Ounce Bottle is Furnished 
with, this No. 1 Model 



Practical Air Brushes are the most simple and durable air 
brushes on the market. They are easy to clean, having no small 
parts to take off or get lost. Either model will do the same work, 
as they are both built on the same principle. No extra nozzles or 
parts are needed when you want to use different grades of color, 
such as changing from water color to heavier colors, such as oil 
paints, show card colors, etc. All you have to do is to clean your 
brush thoroughly. 

For fine small work all you need to do is keep your needle set 
for a small spray and then when you want to make a larger spray 
you simply turn your needle. You can do this at any time with- 
out stopping. 

This is one of the big advantages of the Practical Air Brush, 
because if you are using heavy colors you do not need to keep 
changing your liquid nozzle to meet the requirements of the heavier 
colors. 

Brush must be cleaned thoroughly after using 



BISSELL'S 

OPAQUE DULL FINISH 

SHOW CARD COLORS 



READY-TO-USE 

NON-SETTLING 

ONE-STROKE 




PUT UP IN CLEAR GLASS JARS HOLDING 2, 

8, 16 AND 32 OUNCES WITH RESEALABLE 

SCREW CAP THE JARS ARE PACKED IN 

HEAVY CORRUGATED CARTONS 

2 oz. ONE DOZEN to BOX 

8 oz. HALF DOZEN to BOX 

16 oz. HALF DOZEN to BOX 

32 oz. ONE BOTTLE to BOX 

PRICES 

ON ALL THE COLORS 

Size Dozen Each 

2 oz. $ 3.00 $ .25 

8 oz. 7.80 .65 

16 oz. 13.20 1.10 

32 oz. 24.00 2.00 



The WOLD Type "Master" 
Air Brush 




The color cup shown on the brush is prac- 
tical for small work, but for work where larger 
quantities and several colors are used, the metal 
tube cups are preferable, since one may be had 
for each color and they are instantly inter- 
changeable. 

The brush is simplicity of construction and 
may be put in an inexperienced hand for sten- 
ciling, duplicating work, etc., and as to clean- 
ing, there is no need of taking it apart. In fact, 
the "Master" is the ideal all-around brush for 
all kinds of work. 

The cap No. 1 shown in the illustration is 
to be removed when the brush is in use. 



This is a brush with a 30 years' record of 
serviceable and satisfactory use for any class of 
work. 



Put up in a leatherette case, including 
funnel cup or tube cup, holder and screw, 
air tube nipple and instructions. 



Price $25.00 



(Exact size of instrument) 



Improved Fountain 
Air Brush 




Model A 



The Fountain Air Brush offers a two-fold superiority over 
other air brushes which will readily be recognized by artists who 
work in colors and black and white. By means of it, the color is 
not only applied so evenly as to go on very much like a wash, but 
the time necessary is incredibly reduced. 

Any surface on which painting can be done may be effectively 
handled by means of the Fountain Air Brush — felt, china, muslin, 
satin, paper or canvas. Oil, mineral or water colors work equally 
well in the Fountain Air Brush. 

Model A is best adapted to the general use of Portrait Artists, 
Show Card Writers, Retouchers, Lithographers, Monumental 
Draughtsmen, Photographers, Mechanical Draughtsmen, and for 
all air brush work, both colored and monochrome, that requires 
delicate handling. It can be operated either by foot pump, elec- 
tric pump, or carbonic gas. 

PRICE $25.00 



36 91 



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